Vosburgh Next for Surging Imperial Hint

Top sprinter Imperial Hint is going so well of late that trainer Luis Carvajal Jr. is counting the days to his next start in the $350,000 Vosburgh Stakes (G1) Sept. 29 at Belmont Park.

In the six-furlong Vosburgh, Imperial Hint will try for his third straight graded stakes win in New York and second straight grade 1 score against an expected six other starters.

Raymond Mamone's Imperial Hint earned his first top-level win July 28 in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. A win at the highest level was no surprise for the 5-year-old son of Imperialism, who completed 2017 with a runner-up finish in the TwinSpires Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) and entered the Vanderbilt off a victory in the True North Stakes (G2).

But the ease of the score is etched in Carvajal's head. Racing comfortably, Imperial Hint opened a 4 1/2-length advantage in the stretch and cruised home to a 3 3/4-length win under jockey Javier Castellano.

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"I was thinking that he was going to run a really good race, and I was hoping that he was going to win that race, but I never thought he was going to do it the way he did it," Carvajal said. "It just amazed me the way he did it. I know he made it look easy. 

"That's why I'm looking forward to Saturday. He's training very, very well. He worked really good the other day, and hopefully he'll perform the same way. He's super. He's doing great, and I'm looking forward to Saturday."

In winning four of five stakes last year, Imperial Hint secured a pair of grade 3 wins in the General George at Laurel Park and the Smile Sprint at Gulfstream Park. His trainer marvels at his consistency—not just in races, but in the mornings.

"Every time he works, he puts in bullet works without even asking him," Carvajal said. "The rider takes him out here and tries to hold him back, but he just goes. He seems like he's just more mature and gotten a lot better."

As part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" series, the Vosburgh awards the winner an all-fees-paid berth into the Sprint. Carvajal is trying to first focus on the Vosburgh but would love another crack at the Sprint.

Oddly, Imperial Hint is the only horse entered off a graded stakes. Of the other six competitors, two made their previous starts in the restricted Tale of the Cat Stakes, one is entered off a starter allowance race, and three raced for a claiming tag. 

The two horses out of the Tale of the Cat Aug. 10 at Saratoga are fifth-place finisher Mr. Crow and third-place Silver Ride. Besides Imperial Hint, the only horse in the field entered off a win is Still Krz, who took an Aug. 15 claiming race at Saratoga.

Entries: Vosburgh S. (G1)

Belmont Park, Saturday, September 29, 2018, Race 7

• Grade I
• 6f
• Dirt
• $350,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:09 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Sightforsoreeyes (KY)	David Cohen	124	Anthony T. Quartarolo	30/1
2	2Maniacal (KY)	John R. Velazquez	124	Michael J. Maker	30/1
3	3Forge (KY)	Manuel Franco	124	Dermot Magner	20/1
4	4Mr. Crow (KY)	Luis Saez	124	Ben Colebrook	5/1
5	5Silver Ride (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	124	Brian A. Lynch	8/1
6	6Imperial Hint (FL)	Javier Castellano	124	Luis Carvajal, Jr.	1/5
7	7Still Krz (ON)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	124	Raymond Handal	15/1